Sex-related Variability of White-Matter Tracts is Robust to Tractography Methodology

Summary

This preprint compares sex-related white matter findings from two different tractography pipelines. Microstructural results were highly consistent, while volumetric effects showed more disagreement and depended more on reconstruction sensitivity.

Study overview

Two pipelines differing in modeling, reconstruction, and analysis were applied to the same datasets. Only one of 343 microstructural comparisons disagreed significantly, whereas volumetric effects showed substantially more disagreement. The preprint supports the reproducibility of many microstructural sex effects while highlighting greater methodological sensitivity in tract volumes.

Main findings

• Microstructural sex effects were largely consistent across the two pipelines.
• Volumetric findings were more sensitive to reconstruction methodology.